


The Merc and the Owl

by SargentStadanko



Category: Avengers (Comics), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-05 03:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SargentStadanko/pseuds/SargentStadanko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wade learns that Clint is an owl- and he has to take care of him till he can break free of the spell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Merc and the Owl

**Author's Note:**

> For my beloved Wade. <3

"Right- give me five and I'll be out."  
  
 _Visitors?_  
 **Visi _tor_.**  
 _Visitor schmizidor- either way they're breaching our perimeter. Someone get the guns._  
 **You get the guns.**  
 _No you-_  
  
"I'll get them." Wade's voice rang out around the apartment, sighing dramatically as he stood. "Would it hurt everyone to just get along up there for once? You'd think we were crazy or something." Tapping his temple he walked over to the stereo by his flatscreen TV and pulled out a small handgun, flipping it around his fingers before he set his gaze in the direction of the voice coming from his window. He lived thirteen floors up. This shouldn't be possible.  
That or someone had turned off the gravity and he was in another of those parallel universes.  
  
"Wade Wilson?"  
  
 _We know that voice._  
"Do we know that voice?"  
 **Barton's ex.**  
"Ah. Right. Her."  
  
He could see her now, crouched on his windowsill, about as scared of her death as he was his own in that moment.  
  
"Come in, the doors unlocked."  
She pushed on the glass with a hand, eyes narrowing moments later.  
"The window's not."  
"That's because normal people come through the front entrance- but hey, who am I to judge?" He was already on his way over to unlock the glass, pulling it towards him so she could slide through the gap and plunk herself down beside him. Crossing his arms the merc stared down at her, enjoying the way she scrutinized him back.  
  
"Your idiot of a boyfriend failed a mission today."  
  
Wade instantly raised his chin, taking in a quiet breath, wondering when his protective instincts for the other man had grown so strong. Hawkeye didn't fail missions, that wasn't like him.  
  
"And you came to tell me this, why?"  
  
The red-head looked so bemused as she reached behind her, unslinging a small pack from her shoulders. Wade was waiting for her to answer, surprised when she opened the flap at the top and reached in, pulling out a ball of fluff that barely sat in her palm without spilling over the edges. She raised it up for him to get a better look, blinking beneath bored lashes.  
  
 _Da fuq is that?_  
 **That is simply the _cutest_ owl we never did see!**  
 _No, I think I've seen cuter._  
 **Course you have.**  
  
"All right, and... then what is this?"  
The merc scratched his head, watching as the tiny owl fluffed out its brown and white feathers and opened huge blue eyes, casting him the most heartstopping gaze with its big glossy orbs of delicate adorableness.  
  
 _Holy shit that's not an owl._  
  
"Clint?"  
Wade swore the owl settled down further into her palm then, its expression making him think it was grinning. The way it's little feathers settled around its beak, nearly hiding it save the tip of bright yellow that barely curved at all.  
  
"You're obviously the intellectual of the relationship, yes."  
  
 _She's mocking us._  
 **LOOK HOW CUTE THE OWL IS.**  
  
"I'll take it, how much?"  
"Just keep him safe till the spell wears off. That's all I ask."  
"Sir, yes, sir."  
  
The merc saluted her before she rolled her eyes and packed up her things, taking her leave through the window again. He didn't bother to watch her scale the wall, closing the fixture as soon as her feet were out of toe-slamming range. He almost forgotten that she'd given him the tiny owl until he felt sharp talons prick at his hand, eyes sliding to the annoying feeling before-  
  
"Clint!"  
 _Why is he an owl?_  
"Why are you an owl?"  
 **Can he speak still?**  
"Hell if I know, he's a fucking owl. Why are you an owl? Can you still talk?"  
  
Silence. The two baby blues were swiveled all the way upwards, the creatures chin not having lifted. It looked absolutely precious, too precious for the universe. Wade tilted his head at it, raising his free hand slowly, not wanting to spook it. The owl didn't wince or shudder, simply slid its eyes to the fingers by its entity and stared.  
  
"I'm not gonna hurt you, Birdy."  
  
The merc's fingertips brushed over some of the baby owl down and he scrunched up his nose, watching as the owl slowly, slowly pressed itself against his skin, closing its eyes in the most fragile way possible. He sunk his fingers lower, massaging the tiny bird's head before it was smiling again, purely and genuinely smiling.  
  
 _That is definitely a smile._  
 **It's Clint. He loves head massages.**  
 _That could go two ways-_  
  
"Clint, this is more precious than Nate in pink leather."  
 _WHAT?_  
 **Why am I not surprised at the current visual?**  
  
The bird responded only by letting out a faint purr, opening its eyes lazily as it enjoyed the merc's petting.  
  
"Oh Birdy, what are we gonna do with you? You were my favorite archer just this morning, I remember you leaving with all your man parts in tact- now you're an owl. Explain to me how you became an owl again, cause I don't remember Natasha doing that."  
  
The bird opened its beak and yawned, shuddering beneath the man's touch.  
  
"Oh yeah? Is that so? Well, news for you- I don't speak owl. Not here anyways, maybe in Earth 1616, but that's a ways away and I don't know if you'd live through the timeline change. We're stuck here till you transform back, buddy."  
  
The tiny owl slid its eyes up to him again in an expression that could only be considered pleading and utterly gossamery.  
  
"Holy fuck, don't do that."  
The owl blinked, and Wade brought the bird up to his own eye level, pressing his nose into the soft down gently.  
  
 _Clint needs to be a bird more often._  
"No, cause now when he shits we're gonna be stuck cleaning it up."  
 **Oh. Point taken.**  
  
"Well, Birdy, what's on the agenda for today then? Least you came here bright and early, I was just about to have breakfast. BREAKFAST."  
The merc poked his nose against the tiny beak, staring straight into the wide eyes of the bird.  
"You hungry, little guy? Huh? You hungry? I bet you're hungry!"  
  
 _He's probably not hungry._  
 **We fed him enough for two Steve's this morning, he can't be hungry.**  
"I bet you're hungry! Let's see what we've got." Wade carried his tiny companion over to the kitchen and set the bird down on the countertop, opening cupboards and drawers until he found what he was looking for.  
  
"Birdseed. You're lucky you're so fucking weird in real life, only you would keep birdseed and hummingbird juice in our kitchen."  
The merc poured some into his hand, holding it up near the little owl as it perched on the shiny surface. It looked at his hand, and then at him, innocent and puppy-eyed.  
  
 _Stop it, Clinton._  
 **Approaching... Cute... Overload...**  
  
"Take some, Birdy."  
The owl blinked at his hand, reaching over very hesitantly before it pecked at his finger, latching onto the knuckle happily.  
  
"No, the seed- damnit, Clint, this is not the time to be a smart ass. Eat the birdseed."  
The owl pulled itself forward by Wade's finger, no longer reaching for the bite.  
  
"Clint, don't make me ask you twice. Not my finger, look, it's in my palm."  
Wade moved the seed around in his palm, finally sighing when it was obvious the owl had found its object of desire.  
"Fine, you can have my finger, just make sure you return it when you're done with it."  
  
He slipped his pinky finger forward on his free hand, waiting till the owl clung to it before he dropped the seed back in the bag and returned it to its place. He spent the better part of fifteen minutes watching the bloodthirsty ball of fur nom on him.  
  
 _Remember that time you wanted a pet owl?_  
"No."  
 **Me neither.**  
 _Well fuck you then._  
  
"Well geez, you're still entertaining yourself there, little guy? Sure you don't wanna do someting else? Here-"  
Wade plucked the bird from the counter and placed his talons on his shoulder, feeling the way the owl gripped at his shirt fabric securely. When he turned to look at him the owl was facing forward, eyes wide as if it was seeing the room for the first time.  
  
"Yep. Probably looks different now that you're all small and stuff."  
The merc reached up and ruffled the owl's crest gently, crossing his arms as he decided his next course of action.  
  
"Well, s'long as you're cool with being up there, I've got a couple things to do today. You okay with that?"  
The owl fluffed its feathers again, settling down against his shoulder, talons digging into his skin as reply.  
"All right. Hang tight, Birdy, Wilson's gonna show you the world."  
  
xx.  
  
It was a day full of weapons and scantily-clad women, which could've meant a lot of things, but actually meant katanas and the Serpent Society. When things got too rough for the little owl to hold on, Wade would drop him off on the nearest surface and swing back when he'd finished dueling his target, dropping him into a pocket or occasionally on his head so he could cling to his hair. Sweaty and ecstatic, the merc returned home with his tiny feathered friend, undressing in his bathroom while the owl stared at itself in the big mirror on the wall. Wade watched the blue eyes as the head turned right and left, blinking in wonder at its own reflection. He couldn't help but grin, leaning down so he was right beside him.  
  
"Look, it's you."  
  
He pointed at the owls reflection; the bird merely stared, its gaze sweeping up to his.  
  
 _That's almost spooky._  
 **Like he knows you.**  
 _Like he still understands english._  
  
"It's Clint you idiots, of course he knows me. You know me, right Birdy? I'm the guy that argues with you about who wore which dress better at the Grammy's, the guy that watches you fall asleep at night cause you look so damn peaceful in my arms."  
The owl's gaze slid back to its own reflection, and Wade stood up straight, staring at himself.  
"I'm the guy who'd do anything for you, buddy. Anything at all."  
  
 _That escalated quickly._  
 **Owl's make us sentimental, Wilson?**  
 _Clint owl's do._  
  
"Oh nevermind- you wanna hop in the shower with me? Yeah? Do ya? Do ya?"  
  
 _We sound like a thirteen year old who got her first pony._  
 **We sound like Clint the first time he saw us naked.**  
 _Oh, good one._  
  
The owl was still staring at itself as Wade picked it up and carried it into the shower, placing it on one of the small shelves at the corner of the room before he turned on the water stream and stepped under it. The water ran black and brown with the day's grime, but eventually it came away clean, bubbles lingering on the crystalline surface before they were swallowed down the drain. He ran a hand over his face and turned to his new companion, reaching out a finger, which the owl promptly rubbed itself against.  
  
"God you're just so cute."  
 _How is anything so freaking cute?_  
The merc laughed, spiking up the birds face feathers from the humidity in the steam. The bird looked so surprised that Wade couldn't help himself: he leaned against the shower wall, chuckling at the terrified looking creature until he ended up sliding to his knees, consoling himself with a clearing of his throat.  
  
"Oh Clint, what would I do without you?"  
  
xx.  
  
Thing was, Wade didn't know how long this spell was supposed to last. He didn't feel like getting a hold of Natasha or SHIELD though, simply because it was so time consuming and Clint was absolutely adorable as an owl. He slept on the pillow beside Wade, snuggled against the crook of his neck when the sun rose, and sat on his shoulder wherever they went. A week had passed before Wade sat at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal as he watched the owl preen itself.  
  
"I miss my Birdy."  
 _You have your Birdy, right there._  
"No, I want Clint back. The real Clint."  
 **Costs less to keep him as an owl. All he eats is bugs and mice, he even tries his hardest to poop on newspaper.**  
  
"Yeah, well... I'll give it a little while longer, but I miss him."  
  
 _You're just horny._  
"No, I just miss seeing him around here. He's never been gone this long."  
 **Since when did you care?**  
  
But Wade didn't have an answer for this, so he reached out to pet his Birdy, finding comfort in the way the Clint owl shuddered into his touch and sighed, contentedly.  
  
xx.  
  
"This is fucking ridiculous."  
  
Before the merc sat an owl fledgling, growing into its crest and its wings nicely. It's beak was curving, it's eyes gaining a predatorial look to them as they swept across the room. No longer was Clint the cute little owl that sat atop his favorite merc's shoulder. No more could Wade feed him birdseed from his hand without the creature digging sharp hooks into his fingers and glaring at him knowingly.  
  
"This, is fucking, ridiculous."  
 _It's been a month._  
 **Dr. Strange has been known to do weird shit, but this seems beyond him.**  
  
"This is fucking ridiculous."  
  
Wade sat on the couch, Clint on the armrest beside him. The owl was still as friendly and loving as the first day, but he was also rougher, less pretty and more daunting.  
  
"Clint, the rouse is up, I want my Birdy back now."  
  
All that met him was an owl's coo as the bird turned its head away, gazing off at the night sky behind the closed window longingly.  
  
xx.  
  
It wasn't much later that Wade finally gave up waiting.  
  
"Where's the number for Fury?"  
 _No, no, call up Steve, Steve knows everything about Clint._  
 **Yeah, plus maybe you can get some Captain America to yourself for a while if he invites you over.**  
  
"Well, that's not a bad idea."  
  
The phone was ringing, someone picked up the other end.  
  
"Ey, Steven, Steve McGeeve, the greatest Steve of all time- how you doin?"  
"Uh, Wilson, I presume?"  
"Yes. Sorry. Hi. Are you busy?"  
"Not currently, anything I can do to help you with?"  
"Yeah, actually. Lots, but we'll start with something easy. You know anything about when Clint gets to turn back into his awesome archer self?"  
"Oh, Clint?"  
  
The line went quiet. Wade heard Steve clear his throat.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to take a guess and say no one briefed you on this one. Why don't you, come on down to the mansion. I'll meet you at the front gate."  
"Really? No way- all right, be there in a jiffy. Real soon. Hold tight, Cap."  
"Will do."  
  
Wade dressed in record time, casual clothes for the sake of Clint not ripping his spandex suit apart. He ran the entire way, Clint flapping over head before Steve came into view, standing with his eyes on the skies before Wade's appearance woke him of his daze.  
  
"Afternoon, soldier."  
"To you too, Steve- now whaddya say we have this talk inside? It's a little chilly out here for Clint, wouldn't want him catching cold."  
  
 _You just wanna see the mansion again._  
 **Of course we wanna see the mansion again.**  
  
"If you wish."  
  
Wade followed after Steve with a skip in his step, Clint settling onto the top of his head with his prickly talons and a shuffle of feathers. Wade didn't mind so much, it wasn't like he wouldn't heal from head wounds. When Steve opened the doors and stopped in his tracks, Wade was surprised. The super soldier turned around and faced him, blue eyes even as he surveyed the merc.  
  
"Wade, what did Natasha tell you?"  
"That I had to keep Clint safe till his spell wore off."  
  
The soldier seemed to contemplate that for a while. Wade didn't like the way his chest was suddenly moving, as if he was breathing deeper to keep himself calm- he didn't mention it though, because Steve was suddenly leading them to the garden, his steps slow but purposeful.  
  
"Did you know much about Hawkeye?"  
  
 _What kind of question is that?_  
 **We knew everything from his zodiac sign to his dick size, 'course we knew everything.**  
  
"I'd like to think so."  
  
Steve nodded, crossing his arms. The sky was darkening, Wade bet it was going to rain soon.  
  
"Did you know that this was his garden?"  
"Actually I did. He showed it to me last time he brought me here."  
"That's good, that's good," Steve murmured, eyes roaming the flowers and their counterparts. The owl lit off of Wade's head, settling down between the merc and the soldier comfortably.  
  
"Did he ever talk about the Bird of Prey Initiative?"  
  
Wade raised an eyebrow. That was even goofier sounding than the Avengers Initiative.  
  
"No, but I'm guessing you're gonna tell me?"  
  
Steve lifted his gaze.  
  
"It was Clint's idea. Tony built a room just for training Hawks and Eagles, grand cages and a ceiling that slid open on command. We'd really gotten it going, I was almost assigned one myself."  
  
 _No fucking way._  
 **I want one.**  
 _We have one._  
 **Oh, right.**  
  
"Clint was proud of it, very proud. He liked the hawks the best, as I'm sure you guessed. He liked their prowess and the power of their beaks and claws. He hadn't picked one out for certain yet, kept telling us he'd rather be like one than own one."  
  
 _So he got his wish?_  
 **I don't like where this is going...**  
  
"Wade, I know he loved you. Talked about you nonstop, happiest I've ever seen him."  
  
The soldier was smiling fondly, and Wade found himself smiling too.  
  
 _Birdy loved us._  
 **Birdy still does love us, and we love him.**  
  
"I.. I had no idea you weren't informed. We... we had a funeral for him three weeks ago."  
  
 _Funeral?_  
 **For the bird?**  
 _Or for Clint?_  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't follow. Three weeks ago? What is this- Cap, c'mon man, don't lie to me, you wouldn't lie to me-"  
"I'm not lying to you. I'm sorry. Clint Barton died in combat, a heroic and noble death."  
  
 _Someone pinch me, he's fucking lying._  
 **No, cause there's Clint right there, sitting there with his smug feathers and his stupid face-**  
  
"He didn't die, he just, got changed. We can change him back, Cap, we can-"  
"Wade."  
  
The utter significance of Steve's tone made Wade's breath catch, stuck in the strong blue gaze that held his own.  
  
"That's not Clint. That is the offspring of the owl that Clint had been raising. For you."  
  
 _Offspring?_  
 **For us?**  
  
"No, you're joking. Funny joke, Cap, I don't like it anymore."  
"He was training the mother to accompany you on missions, thought it would be great to let you join in on the initiative. He used to laugh and say "they'll get along great, look, she's even got his sense of humor." The night Clint died, so did the owl's mother. She had been tearing at her cage for hours, so I let her out and she fled- Natasha witnessed the whole thing. Clint had himself in a tight spot. Your owl raced at his captors, clawing and ripping whatever stood in her way. She was beautiful, Wade, graceful and all powerful.  
It was like she knew, and she would have done anything to protect him."  
  
 _You fucker._  
"No."  
 _Who the fuck did this to my Birdy?_  
  
"I don't know why Natasha didn't tell you, and I'm terribly... terribly sorry for your loss."  
  
 _Steve man, don't do this, it's not true._  
"Steve, where is Clint? The real Clint? _My,_ Clint."  
  
The merc's voice broke at the end. Steve picked up where he left off, offering a gaze of sympathy, an inclination of his head.  
  
"We buried them both in his garden. You stand, where he lays."  
  
xx.  
  
Wade had sunken to his knees after that, hands on the ground as tears dripped from his eyes. The rain began soon after, and Steve could do nothing as he turned, trudging back to the mansion so he could leave the merc and his love in peace.  
  
That night, a merc broke in the garden of the only man who had ever made him feel whole.  
And that night, an owl keened as it lay its head against its companion, blue eyes taking on a new light as the moon shared in their sorrow, swallowing them in its quiet eternity and its cold, unforgiving grasp.


End file.
